Man sentenced over illegal gas work in Stourbridge

A BLACK Country man has been sentenced to 80 hours’ worth of unpaid work for carrying out illegal and dangerous work on gas boilers at two Stourbridge properties.

The work Paul Creswell carried out at a flat in Hanbury Court was of such poor workmanship it meant there was a realistic and probable chance of carbon monoxide entering the property because he had failed to fix the flue to the boiler correctly, Dudley Magistrates Court heard.

He also carried out sub-standard work at a house in Vale Street, where the wiring he installed was so dangerous it had the potential for pipes to become live.

The court heard today (Wednesday January 15) that his failings came to light following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after one of the residents complained to Gas Safe Register.

The investigation found Mr Cresswell was not registered with Gas Safe – a legal requirement for anyone undertaking gas work - and obtained work by providing the managing agents of the properties he worked on with out-of-date registration documents.

He also continued to display Gas Safe signs on his van, falsely indicating he was authorised to work on gas appliances.

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Mr Cresswell, of Beccles Drive, Willenhall, had been registered between July 7 2011 and July 6 2012 but allowed his registration to lapse.

The 44-year-old pleaded guilty to breaching Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations in December 2012 and January 2013 and was ordered to carry out 80 hours’ unpaid work and pay £1,270 costs.

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HSE inspector Karl Raw said after the hearing: “Mr Creswell knew he was not registered with Gas Safe and that he should not have been carrying out the work. He deliberately misled the property agents who employed him and put the tenants - a young family and a pensioner - at risk of serious injury or even death.”

Russell Kramer, chief executive of Gas Safe Register, added: “Every Gas Safe registered engineer carries an ID card which shows who they are and the kind of work they are qualified to undertake. We encourage people to always ask to see the card, and to check their details with us by calling 0800 408 5500 or by visiting www.gassaferegister.co.uk."

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